Last Sunday ("It's MOR-7ing in America," Oct 7), Jack Ohman proposed that OR-7 should run for president.

I have a great deal of respect for this candidate, but I am worried about his inexperience in politics.

Therefore, I suggest that he first run for mayor of Portland. He would have a good chance against Charlie Hales. He also wouldn't have the stigma of Jefferson Smith's driving history.

OR-7 might be just the candidate/wolf we need to run Oregon's biggest city. Then he can run for president in 2016, when he has an elected office background.

DAN MOHRMAN Northeast Portland

Tribal or private casinos?

Denying private enterprise the right to build a casino in Oregon would make sense only if we closed all of the tribal casinos and shut down Oregon's lottery gambling system. Handing a lucrative industry to an exclusive group was just plain wrong.

For the state to set up its own gambling operation was even worse. We live in a free-enterprise society. No state, county or city government should ever be involved in it. To do so, then deny the same privilege to the private sector, is hypocrisy at its worst.

Let's all play by the same rules.

GLENN R. SHARP Hillsboro

I am totally opposed to the idea of creating a casino outside Native American reservations -- whether in Wood Village or any other nontribal territory. Native Americans were granted this privilege, the first time they were able to do something to improve their communities, and they have used this income to better their lives. If we remember how badly the First Nations people lost their territories at the beginning of this nation's history, it is the least we can do to grant them this sole right as promised by the state.

The use of the word "Grange" in political ads urging votes is deceptive in its message, for as we already know and have seen, people flock to the casinos, not the resort spas.

To urge us to vote to get financial aid to schools is also using a bad idea to fund a good endeavor. In the long run, it's a bad move on our part.

PAT HAYES Beaverton

We owe so much to the Native Americans after we stripped them of their homelands, confined them to reservations, depleted their massive herds of buffalo and so many other wrongdoings.

But where in all the treaties we have made with them do we guarantee that they will be sole operators of casinos in Oregon?

And why are we so eager to deprive people of their right to take part in our system of free enterprise? If they provide all the necessary qualifications and obey all the laws, let them build their casino.

TOM WIRCH Gresham

Third-party candidates

A recent Oregonian editorial addressed both the secretary of state election and a flawed election method, the top-two primary, which was resoundingly rejected by Oregonians in 2008 ("Washington state wins one," Oct. 6). One of the many problems with the top-two system is that it virtually eliminates "third party" candidates from the November general election. The Oregonian's proposed solution to the systemic obstacles faced by third parties is this: "Minor parties ought to sell more voters on their ideas."

Rather tellingly, The Oregonian's description of the secretary of state race in this very same editorial omits any mention whatsoever of the "minor party" candidates. That The Oregonian could ignore third-party candidates and yet chide them for failing to reach voters at the same time is proof positive of a bias so ingrained that it is accepted as "normal."

As one of the more vocal opponents of top-two, I hereby make the following pledge: I will support the top-two primary on the day The Oregonian treats all candidates from all political parties equally. And I'll also eat my hat.

BLAIR BOBIER Corvallis Bobier is president of the Civics Education League.

In defense of jobs

Constant attacks on government services show an incredible shortsightedness on what it takes to keep a society strong and healthy.

To hear conservatives, the fix is easy: Cut government funding and support private-sector growth. Destroy the public employee retirement system. Decimate services. Save money. It sounds great until you realize that they're really talking about getting rid of jobs that directly serve our society. They're talking about cutting teachers, police, firefighters, our justice system, social workers, people who keep our buildings and streets safe. They want to destroy public services in favor of unregulated private enterprise that often doesn't pay living wages and doesn't include retirement or health benefits to workers.

Public employees deserve respect for the services they provide to our society. These employees support local businesses, contribute to the economy and pay taxes.

Enough public service bashing and slashing. Those are jobs, too.

CATHY FANTZ Eagle Creek

Every time Mitt Romney or anyone else states or implies that cutting business owners' taxes will create jobs, someone should counter with this indisputable fact: Businesses don't employ people just because they have a little extra money lying around. They employ people when they are convinced that those people can help them produce a product or provide a service that can be sold at a profit. If they get that right, employing people doesn't cost in the final analysis; it pays.

The way to encourage job creation is to improve the market for goods and services. If there's an unmet demand, businesses will jump at the chance to fulfill it, employing as many people as they need to get the job done.

WALT WAKEFIELD Southeast Portland

Political distraction

They say that history repeats itself, and I am afraid that in this year's presidential election, we are seeing exactly that.

In his satires lamenting the decline of the Roman Republic into dictatorship, the Roman poet Juvenal stated, "Give them bread and circuses and they shall not revolt." In today's parlance, that would read, "Keep them entertained and give them food and other subsidies and we will distract their attention from the current situation."

With the help of shows such as "Jersey Shore," "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" and "The Bachelor," and with the current proliferation of government entitlements, it appears to be only a matter of time before the United States follows the Roman Empire's path into decline.

How tragic that so many Americans are so caught up on the "bottle" that they cannot see the big picture.